TANIX TX3 Alice or Odroid C4?

I’m looking for a media player to be able to play film files from USB hard drives without errors.

  • CoreELEC should run very well
  • automatic resolution switching
  • automatic framerate switching
  • all frame rates without stuttering
  • Codecs VC-1, VP9 support
  • HDR to SDR very well
  • no Dolby Vision, no Atmos
  • no streaming (Netflix, Prime etc.)

A remote control with many buttons for playing the films would also be nice.

Two boxes are shortlisted:
TANIX TX3 Alice and Odroid C4

Both boxes have S905X3 and 4GB RAM.
I’m a noob in this technique. The parts for Odroid-C4 must be ordered and assembled individually. TANIX TX3 Alice, on the other hand, is a finished box. But here I fear maybe AndroidTV 10 again and then CoreELEC fails to install again.

Which of the two boxes would be better for my needs? Which box does CoreELEC run better with?

Thanks very much.

Very easy to get a C4 assembled and running. With Odroid you get the hardware you see in the sales specs with Android TV boxes, lately it’s a hit or miss, cheap components, no support for drivers in Linux. Bad cooling solutions for those boxes also.
Go for a SBC like C4 and you will have less issues than with a box.

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Small Board Computers such as the Odroid C4 are a bit different from a Set Top Box.

They are more flexible, and can be customized to the demands of their environment.

I understand that it can be a bit challenging choosing the right device, and peripherals. And as Garcea mentioned in the above post: the quality level of the device is entirely different to.

The Hardkernel Odroid C4 comes with SoC S905X3, 4Gb Ram, 1GbE LAN, 4 USB 3.0, 1 Micro SD, and 1 μUSB 2.0 (OTG) slots. Video is 1 x HDMI 2.0 (up to 4K@60Hz with HDR, CEC, EDID).

At minimum one would like to include a remote controller, power supply (or USB Charging Cable for the OTG port), some kind of storage medium to boot CoreELEC from (can be a SD Card or USB Flash Drive), and possibly a case.


If Wi-Fi is important, a USB Wi-Fi module can be added.


While the Odroid C4 easily runs CoreELEC from SD Card or USB Flash Drive, some people prefer using a eMMC Module. These modules come in various sizes. Here is a reference chart.

When opting for this type of storage, it’s strongly recommended to also invest in a USB3.0 eMMC Module Writer, as this will save a ton of headaches later, on when installing Operating Systems such as CoreELEC, Android, Ubuntu,…


If overheating is a concern a cooling fan can be added.


As a bonus, the Odroid C4 is a supported device. With a USB-UART Module Kit our developers can help you better if there are issues during the boot sequence.


Considering you like to have a remote that provides lots of control, I suggest looking into something similar to the Air Mouse MX3.


I hope the above helps you, and others in a similar situation, in one way or another.

I have no affiliation with Hardkernel.

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@Betatester

Thank you for all the information and links - very kind.

I allow myself a few more questions:

  • Is the case of the Odroid C4 simply put on top and fixed with screws? Are the screws included with the case or do I have to buy them separately?
  • Is a fan necessary for my requirements?
  • Which SD card to be able to boot CoreELEC without problems? Which company, which memory size?
  • Can I use the remote controller of my Mecool KM9 Pro Classic at first?

I don’t need Wi-Fi and WLAN. I use LAN.

I just bought a Tanix TX3-H as I thought that it would be sufficient for using in bedroom, but boy was I wrong. It’s overheating when just turned on and idle, both ethernet and wlan keep disconnecting and the box just freezes for ~30seconds (might be that network connection) every minute or so. I contacted the reseller and they just want me to update firmware, eventhough exactly same problems are present using Android or CoreElec. You just don’t know what and what quality you will get today.

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May I barge in?
Is the case of the Odroid C4 simply put on top and fixed with screws? Are the screws included with the case or do I have to buy them separately? Yes, you get all the stuff.
Is a fan necessary for my requirements? No,
Which SD card to be able to boot CoreELEC without problems? Which company, which memory size? Try Samsung Evo, SanDisk, 16GB at least if you get a good price. Class 10, UHS I is enough for running locally the content.
Can I use the remote controller of my Mecool KM9 Pro Classic at first? Yes, you could use it after a programming session.

Just try to buy it from authorized resellers from USA or Europe, there are some issues from the HK RMA policy. Distributors

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Hi,

to answer your questions:

  • Is the case of the Odroid C4 simply put on top and fixed with screws? Are the screws included with the case or do I have to buy them separately?

The case comes as a complete kit in a container with lid design, screws are included.

  • Is a fan necessary for my requirements?

It is hard to tell if a fan would be required, but for the relatively low price, I would include one, just to be on the safe side. Similar to a full size computer, “you never can have enough cooling”. Plus it’s an extra insurance against overheating if you ever forget to turn the device off, or have the CPU work harder than average.

  • Which SD card to be able to boot CoreELEC without problems? Which company, which memory size?

Any Class 10 or better SD Card should do the trick. As when it comes to brands and sizes, it’s a personal preference. CoreELEC requires 512Mb to fully deploy, so even 4Gb would be more than sufficient.

image

If you need faster data speeds, a USB 3.0 Flash Drive is recommended.

  • Can I use the remote controller of my Mecool KM9 Pro Classic at first?

It might require some modest configuration but yes. The configuration file for the KM3 Pro factory remote is located here.

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The price is not the problem. I read that it might be difficult to get the fan cable into the C4 case to connect the fan to the C4. Is that correct?

Specific company, size or whatever?
Wouldn’t a 3.0 USB stick be better than an SD card in order not to have speed problems?

Do I pack remote.conf in roots on SD card or USB stick after I have written the CoreELEC image there (with Rufus)?

I dont think that you would need fan for C4 for your use-case. Just my opinion. In case money isnt issue you can buy it and then test without and see temperatures, to safe a potentional hassle with ordering one.

My experience with C2’s with USB CE Storage is 40-50 °C with HW decoded videos and passive. First C4 I latelly tinkering with seems to be very similiar temp-wise.

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  • The price is not the problem. I read that it might be difficult to get the fan cable into the C4 case to connect the fan to the C4. Is that correct?

I am unaware of this.

  • Wouldn’t a 3.0 USB stick be better than an SD card in order not to have speed problems? Specific company, size or whatever?

A class 10 device should be enough but if you experience issues it would be the first place to start looking for improvements. CoreELEC uses 512 Mb fully deployed so it’s whatever size you deem appropriate, and brands are a personal preference.

  • Do I pack remote.conf in roots on SD card or USB stick after I have written the CoreELEC image there (with Rufus)?

Yes, instructions are here and a possibly additional step here.

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Just one thing, the emmc module betatester mentioned in the first answer to you is better than USB stick or the card. You should add the USB emmc reader to make install and other stuff easier.

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I was also interested in Odroid N2+ as it has much more power. But somewhere here in the forum I read that Odroid C4 should do better HDR to SDR conversion. This is very important to me as my TV doesn’t have HDR.

It is also very important for me that codecs that are not so well known, such as VC-1 and VP9, work very well.
And also that all kinds of HD sound work.

I hope Odroid C4 would be the right device for me.

HDR to SDR is just a bad compromise.
If You want to watch HDR use any HDR TV
I have an old TV in my bedroom, only SDR - HDR Videos videos are pale and lack brilliance, so I only watch SDR in my bedroom

It is hard to predict what flash devices are in a USB 3.0 flash drive.

As others have suggested, go with an eMMC module or, if you want a SD card, I would recommend the Sandisk and Samsung High Endurance cards which support many more writes than your typical card.

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Thanks.
eMMC Module is too complicated for me as a newbie.
I’ll try it with a SanDisk 32GB then.

C4 is a great SBC. It will perform adequately (and then some) for your needs.

No need to have concerns about SDR/HDR conversion.

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